Washerwomen
c.1884-1887
Medium
etching [counterproof] reworked with pen and black ink, black and white chalk, and gray wash
Dimensions
sheet: 34.8 x 21 cm (13 11/16 x 8 1/4 in.)
Classification
Department
CG-E
Museum
National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Credit
Joseph F. McCrindle Collection
Accession Number
2009.70.202
Art Historical Context
Félicien Rops (1833–1898), a Belgian artist and leading figure in the Symbolist movement, was renowned for his provocative etchings that blended satire, eroticism, and social commentary during the fin-de-siècle era. Created around 1884–1887, *Washerwomen* exemplifiesops' fascination with everyday scenes infused with subtle sensuality and psychological depth. Working in Paris and Brussels amid the decadent art circles influenced by Baudelaire and the avant-garde, Rops often elevated mundane labor—here, women at their wash—to reveal underlying tensions of modern life. This intricate print began...
About the Artist
Félicien Rops · 1833–1898
Félicien Rops, born Félicien Victor Joseph Rops on July 7, 1833, in Namur, Belgium, to a prosperous textile manufacturing family, displayed prodigious artistic talent from youth. The only child of Nicholas Rops and Sophie Maubile, he received private tutoring until age ten, followed by education at a Jesuit school in Namur (1843–1848), the Athénée Royal de Namur, and the Academy of Fine Arts there...